F0812

F

Food Storage and Hair Restraint Failures in Dietary Services

Ludlow, Vermont Survey Completed on 02-25-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

Surveyors identified deficiencies in food storage and labeling practices in the facility kitchen. During an initial tour of the kitchen dry storage area, they observed a 5-ounce box of cornbread muffin mix with an expiration date of 11/5/25 and a 5-ounce bag of tortilla strips that had been opened on 1/7/26 but had no expiration date on the packaging. In the freezer, they found a bag of 24 frozen fish sticks in an open bag exposed to air with no date on the package, and a bag containing three frozen pie crusts that was opened without any expiration or opened date. A staff member confirmed that these items were either undated, open to air, and/or expired.

Surveyors also observed failures to follow the facility’s own food safety policy regarding hair restraints. One staff member was seen cooking, assembling, and plating food in the kitchen without a hair restraint. In an interview, this staff member stated that kitchen staff did not need a hair restraint if their hair was of a certain length but was unable to specify the permitted length. The Dietary Manager similarly stated that staff with hair considered short enough did not need to wear a hat or hair net while preparing or assembling food and acknowledged there was no specific hair length standard used by the facility. This practice conflicted with the facility’s written Food Safety policy, which requires dietary staff to wear hair restraints to prevent hair from contacting food.